30 October 1997

Alert

"Koha Ditore" journalists harassed by police


Incident details

Yiber Hysa

journalist(s)

harassed


(RSF/IFEX) - On 29 October 1997, two police officers entered the
offices of the Albanian-language daily "Koha Ditore" in order to
review the personal identity documents of associate editor-in-
chief Yiber Hysa and of journalist Fisnik Abrashi, who had
covered a demonstration by Albanian students in Pristina earlier
that day. The officers also demanded to see the identity papers
and passports of two diplomats from the United States of America,
who were visiting the offices of the newspaper at the time.




Previously, on 25 September, two police officers in uniform had
entered the offices of "Koha Ditore" and reviewed the identity
papers of the associate editors-in-chief: Baton Haxhiu, Dukagjin
Gorani and Hysa (see IFEX alert of 2 October 1997). On 12
September, three officers briefly detained Haxhiu at the
newspaper's offices (see IFEX alert of 16 September).


Recommended Action


Send appeals to authorities:

  • protesting the police visits to the offices of "Koha Ditore" on
    three separate occasions in the past two months
  • indicating that such actions appear to be attempts at
    intimidation in a situation that is already tense
  • calling on them to have such harassment stopped as soon as
    possible




    Appeals To



    His Excellency Slobodan Milosevic
    President
    Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
    Fax: +381 11 656 862 / 682 167 / 682 850 / 636 775

    His Excellency Zoran Lilic
    President
    Republic of Serbia
    Fax: +381 11 656 862 / 682 167

    Ministry of Information
    Republic of Serbia
    Fax: +381 11 685 937 / 659 370
    e-mail: mirs@eunet.yu







    Please copy appeals to the source if possible.





    • Source

    Reporters Without Borders
    47, rue Vivienne
    75002 Paris, France
    rsf (@) rsf.org


    Fax:+33 1 45 23 11 51

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